Your time is precious: Don't let poor eyesight slow you down

(NewsUSA) - Staying active is key to a quality lifestyle -- whether it's taking in a sporting event, frolicking at a resort, or just catching up with friends over lunch. But there's no denying you lose a lot of that "quality" if you can't see clearly.

If you're like many people over the age of 40 who find themselves struggling to focus on close objects or small print -- including everything from smart phones to restaurant menus -- you may be developing a vision issue known as presbyopia.

Presbyopia is the gradual loss of the eye's ability to actively focus on close objects. It occurs with the natural course of aging -- generally around the age of 40 -- and requires some form of vision correction.

Common symptoms include:

* The need to hold reading material at arm's length

* Blurred vision at a normal reading distance

* Headaches or fatigue from doing close work

Sound familiar?

Your eye care professional can help select the best and most comfortable vision-correction option for you. But one effective option to correct presbyopia is specially designed multifocal contact lenses.

When selecting multifocal contact lenses:

Be patient: The brain needs to learn how to adapt to new or different contact lens prescriptions.

Know what to expect: Your eye care professional can help you understand and set expectations about the fitting process, which is important in achieving vision satisfaction. This includes testing the contact lenses over one to two weeks.

All-day comfort is key: The material contact lenses are made of is important. So be sure to consult with your ECP about lenses that are made of materials that have been shown to maintain their comfort even after the end of a month of wear, which is key to satisfaction.

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